The effects of electromagnetic signals from wireless devices on medical implants and medical equipment
An Introductory Packet
Excerpts and Resources from An Electronic Silent Spring
- Medical Implants: An Overview
Cardiac pacemakers, insulin pumps and deep brain stimulators are common medical implants. According to NIH, 10% of the American population has an implant. Signals from common wireless devices–like cell phones and “smart” meters can interfere with the signals that operate medical implants. - Dr. Gary Olhoeft, PhD
Dr. Gary Olhoeft is a geophysicist, an electrical engineer and professor emeritus at the Colorado School of Mines. Because he has Parkinson’s Disease, he had a deep brain stimulator implanted in his brain. He describes the effects of interference from electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted by wireless devices on medical implants. - Electromagnetic Interference and Medical Implants (Video)
Dr. Gary Olhoeft, Phd’s speaks at the EMR Policy Institute Conference in Golden, Colorado in 2009. - Fresh Questions about Electric Vehicles
by Gary Olhoeft, PhD and Katie Singer - About Medical Equipment
Medical equipment–including fetal monitors used in hospitals and cardiac pacemakers as well as sensitive, personal medical information–has become vulnerable to hackers. Medical equipment such as wireless heart monitors may also interfere with peoples’ health. - Aiming to First Do No Harm: The Education of Electronics Users
Audio and transcript of talk first given by Katie Singer at Colorado Chautauqua, Boulder, CO, April 7, 2015. “Aiming to First Do No Harm: The Education of Electronics Users” looks at four generations of education and regulation around electronics, including regulation around electronic interference with medical implants. (According to NIH, in 2000, 8-10% of the American population had an implant–i.e. a cardiac pacemaker or insulin pump.) Walking through metal detectors, driving a Prius, being near “smart” meters…can reprogram or shut off medical implants like deep brain stimulators. - Hybrid Cars and Pacemakers
- Expecting Electronic Interference (between fetal monitors, heart monitors and new technologies operating at 600 MHz)
- Heart and Pacemaker Disruption from Electric Meter
- “On the (in)security of the Latest Generation Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators and How to Secure Them”
Eduard Marin - Everyday Exposure to EM Fields Can Disrupt Pacemakers
by Nicole Lou, MedPage, February 27, 2017 - Katharine J. Lee
On living with a power chair. - Emma Gunn
Questions about wireless equipment in hospitals. - Testimony from a Type 1 Diabetic With an Insulin Pump. May 14, 2014
- Pat Rullo interview with Cindy Sage – Wireless Exposures in Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities: What are the Risks?
- Testimony from a woman with hearing aids
More Resources:
Christensen, Jackie Hunt, Life with a Battery Operated Brain: A Patient’s Guide to Surgery for Parkinson’s Disease, Langdon Street. Press, 2009.
Francis, J. and Niehaus, M., 2006, “Interference between cellular telephones
and implantable rhythm devices; a review on recent papers:” Indian
Pacing and Electrophysiology J., v. 6, n.4, p 226-233.
Halperin, D. et al, “Pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators;
software radio attacks and zero-power defenses;” Proc 2008 IEEE
Symposium on Security and Privacy, 14p.
Sutter, J.D., “Scientists work to keep hackers out of implanted medical
devices,” CNN, April 16, 2010.
Talan, Jamie, Deep Brain Stimulation, Dana Press, 2009.
Ideas, meters, filters, shielding products and tools with less EMFs
www.buildingbiology.ca Includes building biology consultant Katharina
Gustavs’ 2008 paper, “Options to Minimize Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic
Radiation Exposures (EMF/RF/Static Fields) in Office Environments.”
For filters that comply with international standards as well as shielding from
power surges caused by lightning and construction and ferrites that clamp
on a cable to absorb conducted RF riding on the outside of a wire, see
cor.com (847.680.7400); Curtis Industries (800.657.0853);
leadertechinco.com (813.855.6921); schurterinc.com (707.636.3000) and
Environmental Potentials at ep2000.com (800.500.7536). Some of these
businesses also provide shielding for individual computers, circuit boards
and air vents.
www.lessemf.com Meters, shielding products, books and DVDs.
www.magneticsciences.com (978.266.9355) Sells and rents meters for
magnetic fields, RFs and more. Serves homeowners, academic researchers,
people with medical implants and industry.